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Every year, tens of thousands of people flock to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, Maryland, about a half-hour west of Baltimore. As you step out of the car you parked in a seemingly endless field, the aroma of the festival hits you: fried dough. As you get closer, you can also smell fresh hay, used hay and lamb kabobs. No kidding -- they aren't sentimental here. Sheep provide clothing and sustenance.

Open Space

Maryland used to be a place of farmland, but in the past 50 years, all things urban have been creeping out further and further, taking over green pastures and turning them into subdivisions of huge houses. Some open land still exists, however, if you are willing to drive far enough. And it's here, at the fairgrounds. The grass parking, lines of porta potties and the co-mingling smells of barn and fried food bring to mind the agricultural fairs held around Maryland in the summer. The big difference here is that the sheep and wool festival is always the first full weekend in May, so the temperatures are easier to take than they are in August. Parking and entrance to the festival are free.

Yarn Art is Not Dead

If you think that everyone buys their clothes from large retailers because they consider anything else too much trouble, you're wrong. This festival, one of the largest of its kind in the United States, has more than 250 vendors selling spun and dyed yarns, knitted and crocheted clothing and textiles, pottery, leather, plants, furniture and countless other crafty items. People not only buy up the sweaters, socks, blankets and mittens, they attend workshops on how to make them.

Demonstrations and Contests

The festival also holds many demonstrations. You can see craftsmen cleaning and carding the wool, spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting, tatting, felting and doing applique, needlepoint and embroidery. Sheep shearing and sheepdog herding demonstrations are also held. Sheep shearing is generally done with electric clippers these days, but demonstrations also include shearing with actual shears. Shearers compete to see who can shear a sheep the fastest. Owners of border collies -- sorry, no pigs -- demonstrate the dogs' herding prowess by having them take the sheep through a number of obstacles.

Sheep Breeds and Good Eats

It's not just people who come from all over to this festival, it's sheep -- so many sheep from all over the world that a parade of sheep breeds is held. A display of breeds is also held, and handouts are available detailing each breed. At this gathering, it's OK to be the black sheep. You can also see demonstrations of how to cook lamb, and you can buy lamb stew, lamb pita and lamb sausage from vendors, as well as the more common cotton candy and ice cream -- just not lamb-flavored.